Leave the Lights On
by inthesouthern
Summary: I'll make you forget he even existed.
1. Chapter 1

_Get a cab. Get a cab. Get a-okay, don't fall, and then get a cab. Don't fall, get a cab. Don't fall, get a cab. Stay dry, and don't fall, and get a cab. Find coffee, stay dry, don't fall, get a cab. Answer phone, hold coffee, stay dry, don't fall, and-_

"Mike! Hi! Can you hang on a second?"

_-where is the goddamn cab?_

Finally, someone takes pity to her and splashes to a halt at the curb. Forced to lower her umbrella, she curses the rain and slides into the back seat. She tosses the wet umbrella into the floor, her purse in the seat next to her, and puts the phone back to her ear.

"I need the Pearson Hardman building. I dunno the ad-" The car starts forward with a jolt. "Well, alright then. Mike? You still there?"

"Yeah, I'm here. So you're back." She smiles, lifting her coffee to her lips.

"I just got in last night. Just in time for the great flood, apparently." He chuckles.

"Lovely, isn't it? How was the weather in Saint…Thomas?" he asks uncertainly. She laughs.

"_Tropez_. Saint Tropez."

"Yes! That one. Sorry." She smiles.

"It's okay. It was beautiful, thank you. I had a great time."

"Good! Good." He clears his throat. "Um, well, I am being interrupted it looks like, so I'm gonna go but I'll see you soon. I hope I'm around when you get here."

"Yeah, me, too. See you in a little bit-" He's gone. Looking at the phone, she shrugs. Sipping her coffee, she scrolls through e-mails. The cab stops and starts with the traffic, rain pounds the windows. _Goodbye, Mediterranean vacation. I guess it's really over now, isn't it?_

She closes her e-mail and returns the phone to its home screen. The background is a picture of her with her boyfriend, taken on the bow of the boat they'd rented. Nichola, blond and brown-eyed, wears a wide smile next to her grinning, light-eyed and dark haired Matthew. Behind them, the French Riviera glitters bright blue.

Stepping out of her cab, Nichola looks up at the Pearson Hardman building rising high in front of her. The sheer size of the place blows her away. It's massive, and beautiful, and scary. If not for the rain, she would love to stand outside and look at it some more, but her open-toed shoes are making her feet very wet and very cold, and the rain seems to come down harder the longer she stands there. She seeks refuge inside the heavy glass doors and waits for Mike.

_This can't possibly be summer. I was only gone two weeks. It's still July, right?_

The elevator stops and she steps into a massive lobby. Past the front desk is a spacious seating area with the biggest couches she's ever seen. Behind that is what has to be the biggest window in the world. Slightly mesmerized, she bypasses the secretary and goes to look. _Damn_. Half the city is visible outside that window. It's beautiful, even in the rain. _Saint Tropez can suck it_.

"Michael Ross, if you're not careful someone might mistake you for a real lawyer," she says, grinning at him as he exits the elevator in front of her.

"What, in this suit? No way." She laughs and hugs him. He pulls away and holds her at arms length.

"First off, you are stunning. Not that you aren't always," he adds quickly, "but _wow_, Saint Tropez did you some good." She smiles.

"You're sweet, thank you."

"Second off, Jesus, is that a sunburn?" he asks, lifting up the neck of her cardigan to look at her shoulder. "Have you heard of sunscreen?"

"I…yeah. That was stupid, on my part. And I'm paying for it, it hurts like hell." He throws her a sympathetic, puppy-eyed look.

"I am so sorry. Seriously, though. Sunscreen. Like a…two hundred SPF or something." She smiles.

"Yeah, I'll have to remember that for next time. But that's not what I came over here for. God, Mike, this is incredible." He nods, a humble smile on his lips.

"Yeah, I know. Amazing, right? I-yeah, this is all kind of amazing and…" He clears his throat, glancing over her shoulder, "we really shouldn't be in here. I hate to go outside but, there's a hot dog stand under a tent out here. It's like, right around the corner. You hungry?"

"I am, actually." She opens her umbrella again and holds it over them as the step back into the downpour. "You're lucky I missed you so much. This rain is terrible." He laughs.

"Thanks. I'm sorry, if I could get a proper lunch break I'd take you somewhere that's actually indoors, but it'll be a miracle if I can get through a hot dog without getting called back." She smiles.

"They're really kicking your ass, huh?" He nods.

"You have _no _idea. My boss is like-oh my God, you've got to be kidding me."

"Mike." A man climbs out of a car under the safety of a large umbrella and immediately fixes Mike with a disapproving stare. "What the hell are you doing? You're supposed to be filling out that subpoena."

"I know. It's done. I came to get lunch-"

"This had better be our witness you're talking to." Mike shakes his head as the man comes to a stop a foot from Nichola.

"No. No, actually, this is a friend of mind, Nicholaaaa-you don't care. I know." Nichola looks him up and down as Mike nearly melts into the sidewalk. Expensive shoes, _very _expensive suit. Slicked back hair and a smug look on his attractive face. His brown eyes find hers and she sees a flicker of interest in the way they twitch in her direction.

"Harvey Specter," he says, extending his hand. "Senior partner."

"Nichola Scott," she replies, grasping his hand briefly.

"Well I hate to rain on your lunch date, Mike, but I need your help inside. Wrap it up?" Mike sighs, his shoulders sinking.

"I am so sorry for dragging you out here in this, Nic-" She smiles.

"It's alright, I understand. You have a job to do."

"Can I make it up to you with dinner tonight?" She smiles.

"Sure. Text me and lemme know when you're free." She glances at Harvey as she turns away. "Nice meeting you, Harvey. Go easy on my boy, will you? I'd like him in one piece."

"Ahh, I can't make any promises." She smiles.

"Of course not. See you later, Mike," she adds, turning around and heading back down the sidewalk. Harvey watches her walk away before rounding on Mike.

"Does she know?" he asks, pointing in the direction she left.

"Know what?" He narrows his eyes.

"Anything that could screw this up."

"Oh. Uhm-but you don't have to worry about her, I swear. This is not the worst thing she could know about and she's always been-it's fine. She's fine. I trust her." Harvey looks at him critically.

"Mike, you can't-you can't just tell people about this. It's a big deal," he says sharply.

"I know. I know. But I swear, she's the only one that knows and I didn't tell her everything, she kind of…it's fine. I swear."

"You tell her whatever you need to tell her to make sure she keeps her mouth shut." Mike nods.

"Of course."

"Don't make a habit out of having her here, either. You can hang out with your friends on your own time."

"Right."

"And _don't tell anyone else_."

"Yeah, I got it."

"Come on, I have another witness for you to go see."

* * *

><p>"You can't say <em>anything<em>, Nic. Not to anyone. Ever." Mike's blue eyes bore into hers. His voice is low, without a hint of a smile anywhere on his face. She nods. She's never seen him so serious about anything.

"Yeah, of course. I'm sworn to secrecy." He nods, relaxing a little.

"I mean it. Not even Matthew." She nods.

"Absolutely."

"Thank you." This time his eyes meet hers a little uncomfortably. "Sorry, I don't mean to do that to you but-" She smiles.

"What, you think we don't have secrets? It's fine, Mike. You don't have to worry." He relaxes further, picking up his glass.

"You're the best, Nic, really." She smiles, picking at her fries. "So, how is it? What's it like? Harvey seems like a bit of a hard ass." Mike chuckles, raising his eyebrows slightly.

"A bit? Yeah, you could say that. But he's really not-he knows what he's doing." He sips his water. "It's good, though. Rough, but, I'll do what I have to, you know?"

"I know. That's good. And I know…how this came about, but I'm proud of you, Mike. I know how much you want this. I hope it works out." Even though she has no idea how that's possible, she genuinely hopes something good comes out of this, instead of all the bad endings she sees. Stranger things have happened.

"Thanks. I, uh, I don't really know how this is gonna end up, but who the hell knows?" he asks with a nervous laugh. Nichola smiles.

"Who the hells knows. That's my motto right there." He grins.

"Yeah, I know." Smiling, she dips a fry in honey mustard. "So where is Matthew? Did he-?"

"He's in London, for work. There's a problem with the paper; he left early. He should be back this week, if everything goes okay." Mike nods. Nichola sighs softly. "I have to go back to work tomorrow. I don't want to."

"Hey, at least you get an eight hour day." She smiles.

"That's true. I could be you. Wow, wouldn't that suck."

"An honest days work? Yeah, that would probably kill you, wouldn't it."

"Ah-ha-ha. Except you're a lawyer, now. Not a day of work from here on out will be honest." He laughs.

"Funny. That's a good one." She grins.

"Thanks." He watches her stir her tea with a straw, knocking the lemon farther down before taking a sip.

"I'm glad you're back, Nic." She meets his eyes and smiles. For the first time he lets himself crack a little. She knows things can't have been easy around here lately, with the demise of his friendship with Trevor. Not that that isn't for the best, but it's still hard. She reaches out and squeezes his hand.

"Me, too. I missed you."


	2. Chapter 2

**Two**

"Late night?" Harvey asks, watching Mike rub his eyes with one hand and reach for his Red Bull with the other. Mike looks up from his computer and shakes his head.

"No. No, I've just been here since before seven going through these bylaws." He gestures at the three folders stuffed with paper on his desk. Harvey glances at the papers, then at Mike.

"And did you find anything?" He shakes his head, holding up a fourth folder.

"Not yet. Last one." Harvey nods.

"Okay. Hurry up."

"She's got a boyfriend," Mike adds through a yawn as Harvey turns away.

"What?"

"Nichola. She has a boyfriend. They've been together for like…five years." He sees Harvey's raised eyebrows and rolls his eyes. "Guys drool over her wherever she goes; I know what it looks like. You hid it better but…she has a boyfriend. Leave her alone." Harvey stares to smile.

"I'm not interested in your friend, Mike, don't worry." Mike narrows his eyes.

"Yeah, well, keep it that way." Harvey turns to leave and Mike takes a large gulp of his coffee before starting his reading again. _This is so stupid. God, I don't want to read anymore_.

* * *

><p>Nichola's seventh floor apartment in Chelsea has a pretty view of Central Park from the south side. She takes her morning coffee to the rooftop terrace, watches the last of the sunrise from the east, and waits for a phone call. Her cats-Ragdolls named Shadow and Carly-hunt pigeons most mornings, although they've never caught anything.<p>

"Matthew," she sings softly into the phone, smiling. He laughs softly.

"Hey, babe. How are you?" His voice is low and he speaks slowly. He sounds tired. It's midnight in London.

"I'm good. I miss you, but I'm good. How's it going over there?"

"I think I've almost straightened it all out. The editors are…trying to kill each other. If I have to I'll just…fire one of them or something." Nichola laughs.

"That's always an option."

"I wanna be able to leave tomorrow or Thursday, at the latest. So, we'll see how things go. I miss you, too. I'm sorry I had to leave." She smiles.

"It's alright. You'll be here soon."

"Yeah, I hope. Speaking of that, think you could clear your schedule for dinner Friday night?"

"Ohh, I dunno," she sighs. "I'll have to check my calendar. I'm pretty booked this week." He laughs.

"Yeah? Well I'd love it if you could squeeze me in." A smirk plays at the corner of her lips.

"Hmm. I might have a couple hours between boyfriend one and boyfriend three…"

"So I'm not even your number one boyfriend? I'm hurt." She laughs.

"Sorry. You _were _boyfriend number one but I docked some points when you had to leave our vacation early."

"Ahh. I see." Leaning on the wall around the terrace, she can't hold back a grin.

"Where are we going for dinner?"

"_That _is a surprise."

"Uh oh. I'm not forgetting an anniversary, am I? I have a few to keep up with."

"Since when do I have to have an occasion to spoil my number one girlfriend?"

"Oh, ouch, hit me where it hurts why don't you. I see. Well since you put it that way, I guess this mysterious surprise dinner puts you back in the lead."

"Thank you." She can hear the smile in his voice and she reaches for one of the necklaces around her neck. The gold Tiffany's envelope charm was a second anniversary present; the "I love you" pendant was a third.

"I love you, Matt," she says softly.

"I love you, too, Nicki. Um, I should probably go. Like I said, I'm gonna see if I can fix this and get on a plane tomorrow, maybe Thursday and if I can't get home by Thursday I'm going to kill an editor rather than fire them." She laughs quietly.

"Well don't do _that_."

"I'm trying really hard not to. So I'll see you later this week?"

"Yeah. I'll be here."

"Good. Try to keep Friday night free, okay?"

"Of course I will. I can't wait."

"Me, neither. I love you." She hears him take a deep breath and exhale slowly.

"I love you, too." She hangs up and sighs. Shadow leaps onto the wall next to her and she sets down her coffee to pick up the cat.

"How many times do I have to tell you, after a seven story fall it isn't going to matter if you land on your feet," she says, kissing the cat's head and setting her back on the ground. Purring, the cat walks a tight circle around her ankles. Nichola rolls her eyes. "Be as cute as you want, you're not allowed on that wall."


	3. Chapter 3

**Three**

_Voicemail. Fucking voicemail. I fucking hate voicemail. Answer your phone, Mike, before I have to hunt you down and kill you and-_

"_Hey, this is Mike. Leave a message and I'll call you as soon as I can."_

"Mike, I swear to God, if you don't answer this phone I'll-" She stops and takes a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I've left you like three of these and I don't mean to be-I just need you, okay? And you're kind of-you're kind of freaking me out so if you could like, at least text me and let me know you're alright-just call me, as soon as you can. Please. I love you."

Arms folded, Nichola turns in a small circle on the sidewalk. _Where do I go? Where could he be?_ She steps carefully off the curb, balancing precariously on heels that she never meant to walk in tonight. She throws up her hand and a cab jerks to a stop in front of her.

Pearson Hardman is half dark and almost empty. The front desk and lobby have been deserted. Nichola goes looking for the associates' cubicles without running into a soul. The dim lights of the hallway gives the place an eerie feeling, like she's in some sort of futuristic castle all alone. She walks as quickly as she can, her footsteps muffled on the carpet.

Crossing her fingers, she pushes the heavy glass door open and heads for Mike's desk. The overwhelming urge to cry washes over her when she sees it's empty. She spins around, checking the room for any sign of him. There are a couple guys working in the back corner, but no Mike.

She goes back to the front of the office, unsure of where to go next. His space was clean and organized, like he'd been gone for a while. He's not here. She swallows the rising lump in her throat. Her pulse is racing as she begins to panic and tries to decide her next move.

"Can I help you?" She turns towards the sound of a male voice. Harvey stands in the door of his office, watching her. She takes a long, deep breath before answering.

"I need Mike," she says, trying hard to control her voice. "Do you know where he is?"

"I sent him to meet a client." He checks his watch. "He should be back soon." She nods, taking another deep breath. The desire to cry dissipates.

"You can wait for him here if you want." She looks up and meets his eyes, and looks at the office behind him. Sitting in there with Harvey is the last thing she wants to be doing. If she can't have Mike she'd rather just be alone. But if he's going to be here soon…

"You don't mind?" she asks uncertainly.

"Would I offer if I mind?" She shrugs.

"I dunno. Some people would call that being nice." He starts to smile.

"So _that's _what that means." She smiles softly.

"Thanks." He steps back to let her in.

Harvey's office is massive. There's a large couch to the right, flanked by comfortable looking chairs. Her eyes find the baseballs on his desk, the row of basketballs on the windowsill, and then the view above them. She sets her purse on the couch and crosses the room to look out the window.

For a minute she forgets what an awful night she's having. Stretched before her is half of Manhattan, shining brightly against a jet black sky. It's breathtaking.

"I don't think I'd mind coming to work every morning if this was my view," she says as Harvey joins her.

"You'd be surprised." She smiles softly.

"Yeah, probably." She tears her eyes away and turns to him.

"How long did you say Mike would be?"

"I'm not sure, exactly, but he left a little while ago, so it shouldn't be too long." She nods. One arm wrapped around herself, she checks her phone for messages. Nothing.

"Wait, so you talked to him?" Harvey nods.

"Fifteen minutes ago." She frowns, looking back at the phone. _What the hell, Mike?_

Harvey can see the distress in her eyes. They stare at the floor, on the edge of filling with tears. She shuffles her feet, taps her phone on her bottom lip, and scrolls through it aimlessly. She keeps forcing herself to breathe slowly, trying to contain herself. She licks her lips every few seconds and runs her fingers through the bottom of her hair. Every fiber of his being tells him not to get involved, but curiosity is taking over.

She turns away as he opens his mouth and begins to examine the basketballs under the window. She walks slowly, carefully placing one skinny, stiletto heel in front of the other. She stops at the fifth one and looks over at him, her mouth open in surprise.

"This is not a Patrick Ewing autograph," she says, looking from him to the ball and back again. Hands in his pockets, he smiles.

"It is." She purses her lips a little and narrows her eyes at him.

"How the hell did you end up with such a thing?"

"He's a client." Nichola smirks.

"No he's not." Harvey raises his eyebrows slightly.

"Wanna bet?"

"Yeah, I do. Ten bucks, Patrick Ewing isn't your client." She holds his gaze, confident. He keeps his face neutral but he wonders what she knows.

"Twenty, Patrick Ewing _is _my client." She grins.

"You don't wanna do that."

"No?"

"No. I know he's not your client, Harvey, because he belongs to Robert Donavan and Robert Donovan is _my _lawyer. I've seen him there before; I met him once." Harvey opens his mouth but nothing comes out. Nichola beams, satisfied.

"Why is Robert Donovan your lawyer?" he asks finally. She shrugs.

"He represents my business." Her phone rings in her hand. She glances at the ID and swallows. She ignores the call and turns away from Harvey, all traces of a smile gone from her face. Harvey hovers by the window, unsure of what to say.

Mike appears in the hallway just in time to save him. Nichola spots him through the door and rushes out to him. He catches her by her shoulders and listens intensely as she starts talking, her mouth moving ninety miles a minute. Suddenly her face crumples and a dark look shadows Mike's eyes as he pulls her to his chest. He holds her for a minute, running his palm over her back.

Eyes red but dry, Nichola follows Mike back into the office. She slings her purse onto her shoulder and looks towards Harvey, careful to avoid his gaze.

"Thanks, Harvey. I'm, uh, gonna go wait outside. You guys do whatever you need to do."

Harvey glances at Mike as she leaves. He runs a hand through the back of his hair, looking frustrated. Sighing, he turns to Harvey.

"Sorry. Can we…make this quick?"

"Yeah, what-?" Mike hesitates.

"She just broke up with her boyfriend."

* * *

><p>"Nic, what the hell happened?" Mike finds her pacing around the corner from the office. She stops and turns to him.<p>

"I don't know, Mike. I don't…I don't know." There's a bewildered look in her wide brown eyes as she shakes her head. "I don't know."

"Come on, we'll get a cab out of here. Where-"

"I don't care. Let's go to your apartment. I don't wanna go home." He nods.

"Okay, okay. Let's go. You can tell me what happened on the way." He puts his hand on her back and gives her a gentle push towards the elevators.

"I thought…I just thought I'd be nice, you know?" she says as the step inside. "I've done it before, when Matt's been gone. I took my key and went over there thinking, you know, I'll clean up a little, cook dinner. He's tired and stressed and what a nice surprise, right?" Mike nods.

"I'm setting the table and I hear the door open. So I walk out there and he's standing there with some…six foot, size two brunette…. She looked like she was seventeen, and her accent was so thick I wasn't even sure if she was speaking French or English." She tears up, shaking her head. "I don't even know what to say. I don't know…I honestly can't believe it, Mike. Not once in five years have I ever suspected him of cheating.

"And Jesus Christ, she looked like a teenager! If she's eighteen-I just don't-I dunno." She runs her hands through her hair, shakes her head. Mike reaches out for her, unable to stand the sight of her heart breaking right in front of him.

"I'm so sorry, Nic. I'm _so _sorry." She buries her face in his chest and wraps her arms around his waist.

"I guess it's better I found out now, right?" she says, stepping back and wiping her eyes. "Than find out after I married the bastard? I mean we had a serious discussion about marriage like, a month ago. _Marriage_, Mike. And he comes home with-"

"Hey, hey, hey." The elevator glides to a stop but he doesn't move, taking her face in his hands. "Yes. You're exactly right. It's better you found out now. I wish there was nothing for you to find out at all, I really do, but it's better this way." She meets his eyes, tears shining in the corners of hers.

"You're going to be okay, Nichola. I know it doesn't feel like it right now but you're gonna be okay. You deserve better than him." Her lip quivers. She fights against it but bursts into tears anyway. She turns away but Mike pulls her back, hugging her tight.

"You're gonna be okay," he repeats, kissing the top of her head.


	4. Chapter 4

**Four**

Nichola opens her eyes slowly, feeling as if she's been hit by a truck. With blurry vision she looks around at the white walls, recognizing that this is not her bedroom. _Oh, yeah_.

She curls into a ball and pulls the covers of Mike's bed over her. Her head hurts. She wants to go back to sleep. She doesn't want to cry anymore. She feels like she cried half the night. _Crying is so overrated_.

Last night feels like a dream. A terrible, terrible dream. If only that were true. She could wake up and it would all be over, back to normal. She'd have Matthew back and everything would be better.

She lays in bed for a while, hoping to either fall asleep again or find the strength to get up. With her mind racing as she stares at the wall, sleep eludes her. It isn't until her stomach starts growling that she finally forces herself to sit up. She rubs her eyes, smudging yesterday's makeup on her fingers. Grumbling, she slides out of the bed and goes to the bathroom.

_Wow, I look pleasant_.

She tries to comb out her hair with her fingers and fixes the raccoon circles around her eyes. She examines the cotton top half of the dress she slept in and sighs. _Well that's wrinkled all to hell_. She starts to look around for something to tie her hair back with before realizing this is Mike's bathroom, not hers, and sighs again.

"Morning, sleepy head," Mike says, smiling at her from the kitchen counter as she trudges out to find her purse. She gives him a halfhearted wave and pulls out a ponytail holder.

"Morning," she says, throwing her hair up into a bun. She crosses the living room and kisses his cheek. He hugs her gently and she yawns as she pulls back.

"What do you have to eat?" she asks.

"There're bagels in the fridge. That's about it." She nods.

"Thanks." He watches her pop them into the toaster, sipping his coffee. She looks terrible. She didn't fall asleep until almost four. He's hesitant to ask how she feels.

"You working today?" she asks, glancing at him. He nods.

"You gonna be okay?" She gives him a weak, unconvincing smile.

"Yeah. I'm, uh, gonna call Lauren, I think. She should…I'd rather her hear it from me."

"That sounds good."

"Yeah." She spreads butter on the bagel halves and looks up at him. "Thanks. For…being here." He smiles softly.

"You don't have to thank me. You know I'm always here if you need me." She nods.

"I know. And I love you for that, I really do."

Nichola eats her bagel and watches ESPN from the couch while Mike gets ready for work. She watches long enough to catch highlights from last night's Yankees game before putting her plate in the sink and going to look for Mike.

"I need to head home. The cats need fed," she says, leaning against the bathroom door and watching him shave.

"Okay. Sorry I have to work," he says, finishing and turning to her. She shrugs.

"It's alright. Not your fault." She stretches up to kiss the side of his freshly shaven face. "Thank you, Mike. For everything." She starts to turn away and he pulls her back. He knows she's tired and upset but he doesn't like the look on her face.

"Nichola, are you okay?" She sighs.

"No, Mike, I'm not okay. What do you want me to say? I'm not okay but you have go to work and I need to feed my cats. I have work to do, too. There's nothing I can do about it." She takes a slow breath, regaining control of herself. "I promise, I'll call Lauren. I'll spend the day with her, okay?"

"Okay. Call me if you need anything?" She nods.

"I will." He follows her out to the living room. Her eyes fall on her necklaces on the end table. For a moment she just stares at them. She had worn them faithfully every day since Matthew gave them to her. She has half a mind to leave them there, but she can't do it. Grudgingly, she throws them into her purse.

"I mean it, Nic, call me," Mike says, following her to the door. She nods.

"I promise." He hugs her tightly.

"It'll be okay."

"I know."

* * *

><p>"Okay, since I'm already more involved in your private life than I ever wanted to be, I may as well go ahead and ask," Harvey says with a sigh when Mike enters his office.<p>

"She's fine. She'll be fine," he says shortly, handing him a folder. Harvey glances at his tired face before opening it.

"That was fast. Good. Good job." Mike nods.

"She's still off limits, Harvey. She can't get over this in a day and-"

"Mike, trust me, that's where I draw the line." Mike holds his gaze for a moment.

"Okay."

**(Two days later)**

"Mike, he told his mother that _I _cheated. That this is my fault. _Seriously? _You _know _how much that woman means to me. He certainly does." Tears in her eyes, Nichola reaches for the bottle of tequila between them and makes a face as she drinks it. "What the hell even is this stuff?" Mike laughs a little.

"This is the cure for all heartache." She smirks, examining the bottle.

"And cancer. I'm pretty sure it could cure cancer." He laughs, happy to see her smile.

"Oh, so, his mom calls me, crying, and _I _had to tell her that Matthew lied. I don't even know if she believed me." She rolls her eyes. "She tired to get me to accept his apology. _What _apology? He hasn't spoken to me. He hasn't tried to get me back. He called me once, right after it happened, and I ignored it. His mother called me. Richard called me. But I haven't spoken to him since that night."

"He's a jerk, Nic. And he lies to people. He lied to you for God knows how long, you really think he's gonna tell his mother the truth about it?" She shakes her head.

"No. Well, a couple weeks ago I couldn't have imagined him lying to her like that, trying to pass this off on me. _Honestly_."

"What did Richard have to say?" She shrugs.

"That he's sorry, and he didn't know. If he had known he would have told me, and can we still be friends. You know, he says that, but I have no idea if he really means it." She sighs. "I like Richard. I always have. I hope he means it but…I know better. His loyalty is to Matthew." She takes another sip of the tequila and sets the bottle on the coffee table in front of them.

"I kind of still don't believe this is happening," she says quietly as Mike reaches for the bottle. "But…I don't think I miss him. I don't…really know how to feel." Mike watches her thoughtfully. She sits back against the couch, her arms wrapped around herself, a pensive look on her face. He wishes he knew how to make her feel better. He doesn't know what else to say besides "It will be okay."

"How's work?" she asks, going to the kitchen. She grabs a bag of chips and pours a glass of soda.

"Good. Exhausting." She smiles.

"Everything you thought it would be?"

"And _so _much more." She laughs softly, returning to the couch.

"Sorry if that was weird, me being up there the other night. It _was _weird. I just…thought you might still be working or something." He shakes his head.

"It's okay. Sorry I didn't answer my phone." She smiles a little.

"It's okay."

* * *

><p>"Just a second!" Nichola sets her coffee on the counter and heads for the door, grumbling as the person outside continues to knock. She checks the peephole and sees her neighbor, Sarah, outside with a small bouquet of flowers. Confused, she opens the door.<p>

"Hey."

"The lazy delivery guy downstairs wanted me to give these to you," Sarah says, rolling her eyes as she hands Nichola the yellow tulips. She smiles.

"Thank, Sarah, I appreciate it."

"No problem. See you later." She takes the flowers inside and sets them next to her coffee. Frowning, she pulls out the little card.

_Hope you're doing alright - Harvey_

She bites her lip. _Well that's awfully sweet of him. Unnecessary, but sweet_. She slips the card back in the envelope and looks around for a place to put the flowers. She settles on her desk, placing the vase on top of the envelope. The light from the window gives the tulips a transparent appearance, casting yellow light on her computer. She smiles softly and goes back to get her coffee.

* * *

><p>"Start packing, we're going to the beach," Lauren says, bursting into Nichola's apartment. She raises an eyebrow.<p>

"Where'd you come from?"

"Pizza guy let me in. You guys should really do something about that, by the way. It kind of defeats the purpose of the fob keys and what not, if random people just let you in. I could've been a serial killer." Nichola eyes her five foot two, size zero frame.

"And who are you gonna kill? You weigh like ninety pounds."

"Which is exactly why I'd make a great serial killer. Who would suspect me?" Nichola shrugs.

"True."

"Anyways, are you coming to the beach or not?"

"What beach?"

"The Hamptons. Blake is letting us have his house. It's just for a few days; he and the guys have plans for the weekend. But we can stay 'til Friday. Please? I'm off all week and I wanna go to the beach. I know you could use the time out of here." Nichola hesitates.

"I dunno, Laur, I have work to do and-"

"Is it anything that has to be done at the office? 'Cause you can just bring your computer. Come on, we'll go up to Montauk and surf. I already checked the report; that tropical storm is sending some good waves up that way." She sighs.

"Alright, I'm in." Lauren grins.

"You won't regret it, I promise." She stops in front of Nichola's desk. "Pretty flowers. Who're they from?"

"Oh, um, just a friend." She raises her eyebrows, taking the card from under the vase.

"Yeah? A friend named-Harvey. Do I know this friend?" Nichola shakes her head.

"No, I don't think so. Come on and help me pack or we're never getting out of here."

* * *

><p>Nichola stands at the edge of the water, waves washing over her feet. She hasn't been surfing all summer. Nervous, she pulls the sleeves of her rash guard over her hands and steps into the water. She shivers a little in the cold, immediately wishing she'd gone full wetsuit. <em>Whatever. We won't be out here long, anyway<em>.


	5. Chapter 5

**Five**

"Nic, that guy keeps looking at you back there," Lauren says, nodding over Nichola's shoulder. Slowly, she glances back. Harvey sits part way down the bar, engaged in some sort of conversation with the young bartender. The girl laughs and lays her hand on Harvey's. Smirking, Nichola rolls her eyes and turns back.

"You know him?" She shrugs.

"Kind of." Lauren eyes her suspiciously.

"Yeah?" She glances at Harvey. "He's _beautiful_." Nichola smiles. She glances back. The bartender has moved on, and Harvey turns in her direction. Their eyes meet and he starts to get up.

"Oh, great," she says, although rolling her eyes again but unable to hold back a grin. "Now he's coming over here." Lauren smirks.

"Good."

"Good evening, ladies," he says, stopping at their table. Nichola smiles up at him.

"Hey, Harvey." He notices a little bit of a drawl in her voice, especially when she says his name. She cuts her large, heavily made up eyes at him in a way that he reads a little suggestively. She then glances at Lauren, who's practically drooling over him. "Harvey, this is my best friend Lauren. Lauren, Harvey." Lauren flashes him a big smile.

"Oh, _you're _the one who sent her the flowers! Nice to meet you, Harvey," she says, extending her hand. "You have good taste." He laughs a little.

"Nice to meet you, too, Lauren. You ladies enjoying yourself tonight?" he asks, directing the question at Nichola. She smiles softly.

"We are, thanks." Lauren watches the two of them, the way they're looking at each other, and rolls her eyes.

"Could you guys excuse me a second? I just remembered I need to make a phone call." Nichola opens her mouth to stop her but it's too late. She glances at Harvey, who smiles and takes the empty seat across from her.

"So what are you doing in here?" he asks. She raises her eyebrows.

"What am _I _doing in here? This is one of my favorite bars in Manhattan. Lauren and I are unwinding from a week in the Hamptons." Harvey matches the arch in her brows.

"You have to unwind from a vacation?" She smiles.

"A vacation with her, yeah." He laughs.

"I see."

"And what are you doing here, trolling for cocktail waitresses?" He smiles.

"How do you know I like cocktail waitresses?" She smirks and shrugs.

"Lucky guess. Wait, can I ask you a question?" He nods.

"Shoot."

"I've never understood why smart, good looking guys like you want anything to do with them. Like, in New York City, they're like a dime a dozen. It's gotta be like fishing out of a bucket for you. Why not challenge yourself? Go after a girl who _doesn't _take her work home with her?" A dangerous kind of smile decorates his lips as he meets her eyes.

"Oh, you mean like you?"

"No, not like me. And I _do _take my work home." He laughs.

"But see that right there, you've already refused and I haven't even really tried yet. Doesn't that make you the challenge you were just describing?"

"Mm, yes. But I have a legitimate reason for not wanting to go out with you. I have a legitimate reason for not wanting to go out with anyone right now. So no, not me. Pick someone else." He cocks his head slightly to the side, his eyes on hers. She can't decide if he's always this forward or if it's the scotch in his glass.

"What if I don't want someone else?"

"Harvey-" He can see the panic she's trying to hide in her eyes and he backs off.

"Alright, alright. Guess I'll just have to settle for another waitress." She smiles.

"Do whatever you want."

"I'll have you know, most of these girls are just trying to get themselves through law school." Nichola laughs.

"Oh! That's your argument. You know, I'm not gonna lie, I thought you were a little more original than that." He just grins back at her, lifting his glass to his lips.

"Nichola," Lauren sings as she approaches the table, interrupting Harvey before he can retort. Nichola smiles at her. "I was just talking to some guys outside, and I've come to ask you if you're okay getting a ride home yourself. Alex over there has offered to show me his penthouse in SoHo and, well, you know how much I _love _SoHo." Nichola laughs.

"It's fine. Go. Have fun."

"Thanks, babe. You're welcome to join us if you want. His friend is _modeling _his way through Columbia med," she says with a wink. She smiles.

"No, thanks. I'm okay here." Lauren glances at Harvey.

"I bet you are. Alright, then, I'm gonna go."

"Be careful," Nichola says seriously. "And call me."

"I will, I promise. Have a good night, guys. Nice meeting you, Harvey." He nods.

"You, too." She flashes them a big smile and disappears into the crowd.

"Wow," Harvey says. She smiles.

"Yeah."

"Is she-?"

"Drunk? No. No, she really is that loud. And she's a lot smarter than she sounds. She teaches chemistry at a private high school in Tribeca." He nods.

"And what do you do?" She smiles, reaching for her glass.

"I run a fashion website. Own, a fashion website, actually."

"Ah. That explains everything." She smirks.

"Like my impeccable taste? Why thank you." He laughs.

"Is your website-?"

"Successful?" She sticks her foot out from under the table, revealing a pair of green Christian Louboutins. "Put it this way, it paid for these." He nods, impressed, and makes a mental note to look it up later.

Nichola finishes off her martini and checks her phone for the time. It's after midnight. And without Lauren, she's free to go home and curl up in front of a movie like she's wanted to do all night. She glances at Harvey, unsure of what to say next.

"I think I'm gonna get out of here," she says, reaching for her purse.

"I've got it," he says, stopping her as she pulls out her wallet.

"Why, so you can win me over with what a gentleman you are? That's okay, thanks." He smiles as she pulls out her debit card and stands.

"You just won't give me any kind of chance, will you," he says, following her to the bar. She shakes her head.

"Nope. Sorry. Hey, do me a favor?" she asks the girl at the register, recognizing her as the one he was flirting with earlier. The girl raises her eyebrows as she gestures at Harvey. "If he tries to ask you out, say no."

"Oh…kay." Nichola smiles and slips her card back in her wallet.

"I wasn't going to ask her out," he says as they head outside.

"No?"

"No. She had that-that Jersey girl kind of accent. I can't stand that." She laughs, shaking her head.

"I have a car," Harvey adds when they get to the sidewalk. "I can take you home." She turns to him.

"I can get a cab."

"I know, but why bother?" She meets his eyes suspiciously.

"You can take me home but that's it. You're not coming in." He smiles.

"Fine."

"I mean it. Not even in the building." He nods, hands in her air.

"Alright. All I'm offering is a ride home." She nods slowly.

"Thank you. Wow, you don't mess around, do you?" she asks when the valet brings around a blue Mercedes AMG. He smiles and opens the door for her.

"No, I don't." Smirking, she ducks down and gets in.

* * *

><p>"Thank you, Harvey, really," she says when they come to a stop in front of her building.<p>

"You're welcome." She opens the door and he grabs her wrist, pulling her back into the seat. She and meets his eyes, surprised.

"Are you sure you don't want to go out with me?" She smiles softly.

"I'm sorry, Harvey. This…was kind of fun, actually. I like you. I just…I can't. Not now." He nods, barely concealing his disappointment.

"It's okay. Just thought I'd give it another shot."

"Yeah. Nice try." He smiles.

"Have a good night, Nichola." She hesitates, but leans over to kiss his cheek. She still smells like the beach, and something like coconut and lemon. Her lips linger on his skin for a moment, and when she pulls away he can still feel them there.

"Have a good night, Harvey. Oh!" she says before she closes the car door. "Thank you, for the flowers. They're beautiful."

"You're welcome."

He watches her walk up the door, her curves outlined by a tight, champagne colored dress, and swipe her key. Foot in the door, she turns and waves. He waves back and she disappears inside.

Nichola immediately heads for her bedroom and walks into the closet to change. She pauses in front of the full length mirror and stands there for a moment. She pulls her hair from the loose knot and lets it fall around her shoulders. She runs her fingers through the wavy ends, still thick with sea salt, and fluffs it up. Sighing, she puts her hands on her hips and just stands there.

_What the hell are you doing Nichola? This is so stupid. And dangerous. You play with fire, you _will _get burned, and you're wounded enough as it is. Do not get involved with this guy. He doesn't want you. Not in the way you'd want him to._

Sighing, she swaps her dress for her favorite Yale sweatpants and a tank top. As she exits, the necklaces hanging by the door catch her eye. She hasn't worn them in more than a week-and she had worn them without exception for years-and there they hang.

A lump rises in her throat as she turns off the closet light. For the first time since they broke up, she begins to really miss Matthew. It's Friday night. They should be curled up in bed, watching a movie after a three hour dinner with Lauren and Richard and the rest of their friends. He should have been in Montauk with her, watching her surf from the beach and trying to explain his fear of sharks when she tries to talk him out there for the hundredth time.

_What does this say about my judgment? Here I thought we had this great relationship, and this whole time…_

For a split second, she finds herself wishing she hadn't turned Harvey down. Anything to get her mind of Matthew. But she shoves the thought away as fast as it comes and heads for the kitchen to pour another drink. _Oh, God, Nichola, shut up. Nothing could be that bad_.


	6. Chapter 6

**Six**

"How is it that we keep running into each other all of a sudden?" Nichola asks as Harvey takes the empty barstool next to her. "I mean, we obviously hang out at the same places, but I'd never seen you before that day outside your firm. You're not stalking me, are you?"

"Apparently I don't need to stalk you. You're just popping up everywhere." She smiles.

"Uh huh." He orders a single malt from the bartender and glances around.

"So is your friend Lauren with you or are we drinking alone tonight?"

"Mm, nope. I'm all by myself. It's been a _very _bad day," she adds, reaching for her martini.

"Sorry." She shrugs.

"You know that saying, you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone?"

"I do."

"Yeah, well, apparently I had a heartless, cheating bastard of a boyfriend who didn't actually love me. You know he hasn't spoken to me-hasn't _tried _to speak to me-since the night we broke up? He hasn't tried to apologize, to get me back, nothing. I've spoken to two of his best friends and his mother. All of them called me."

"Maybe he knows there's no point." She looks up.

"What?"

"Would you take him back?"

"Hell no."

"Right. I'm sure he knows you well enough to know that's how you feel." She shakes her head.

"That's not the point, Harvey. He's still supposed to try." She rolls her eyes, playing with her glass. "I ran into him today, and he just stared at me. And he's still with the chick I caught him with. Poor girl. Wonder if she knows he's incapable of love?"

"Probably not," he says with a smirk. She meets his eyes and smiles softly.

"Sorry. I'm rambling, and you don't know me enough to care." He shakes his head.

"No, it's alright. Ramble all you want. I don't watch soap operas so this is interesting." She throws him a rather dark look.

"Harvey," she warns.

"Okay, okay. Sorry," he laughs. "When you're done, though, maybe we can work on forgetting this jackass?"

"You _are _stalking me. I'm convinced now." He laughs. "You're just following me around, waiting for an opportunity." He grins behind the rim of his glass.

"I don't need to stalk you, Nichola. I can get a cocktail waitress whenever I want, remember?" She smiles.

"I do remember." She finishes her drink and the bartender pours her another.

"I found your website." A large grin graces her red lips and her eyes light up.

"Yeah? What did you think?"

"You have yourself a small empire there, don't you?" She smiles, blushing.

"We're talking about an iPad app next." He nods.

"Good idea. Ever think about making it a magazine?"

"Every few months I go through a phase where I think it's a brilliant idea. But the bottom line is it would seriously screw up the way I work, which would compromise the whole idea behind what I do. It wouldn't be worth it and I don't half ass things for a little bit more money. I'm doing just fine as I am."

"How would it compromise what you do?" he asks curiously.

"Magazines are built months in advance, right? While I have sections of my website that are researched and updated on a specific schedule, half the site is put up on a moment's notice. I find something in a store I like and I post it that night or in the morning. I don't want to have to wait two months to share it with people."

"Okay, so keep the website as is and make the magazine a separate thing."

"Ah, see, I thought of that. But honestly, I don't see the point. My users don't do magazines. They do iPads and white iPhones. I'd have to water down the product too much to appeal to enough readers to make it worth it. And getting a magazine off the ground in the digital age? No thank you." Harvey looks impressed.

"You know your business." She smiles.

"Thank you."

"In the market for a lawyer?" She laughs.

"I have one already, remember?"

"Oh, yeah. How'd you manage that, by the way?" She raises her eyebrows.

"My website is a legitimate business, Harvey, and I make quite a bit of money. Don't sound so surprised."

"I don't doubt you, but he didn't want you because you're a legitimate business." She smiles.

"He goes way back with my ex's dad. He handles all their paper business. I started the site before I met Matthew, and when I got big enough to incorporate they gave me to Donovan."

"So how old is this site?"

"Six years." He eyes her carefully.

"You started this website at twenty years old, and you've turned it into a million dollar business." She grins at the hint of awe in his voice.

"Yep. Six years ago it was a blog about shopping in New York City on a waitress's budget. Now I have men's and children's sections, I cover New York Fashion Week, sell merchandise, and I swear as soon as I can devote the time to it I will get my iPad app. We have Twitter, Facebook, and Tumblr extensions and I advertise all over the internet." He tries to hide it but she can tell he's impressed. She beams with pride. Her website is like her baby. She could talk about it forever.

"Well if you ever decide to look for new representation-"

"I'll keep you in mind." He smiles.

"I appreciate it."

"And I still take my bargain shopping seriously," she adds. "At least once a month I go back to my old discount stores to do some research. People like Glamour and Elle try to pass off ninety-eight dollar outfits as bargains, but the teenagers and twenty-somethings trying to make it up here can't afford that."

"I'm sure your old readers appreciate that." She smiles.

"They do. If there's one thing I'm not it's a sell out. Just because I can afford Christian Louboutin now doesn't mean that's all I have to write about." He nods. She takes a sip of her drink and turns towards him a little.

"So what are you doing here if you're not stalking me?"

"I closed a big deal today. I was celebrating." She cocks an eyebrow.

"Alone?"

"I'm not that pathetic." She smirks.

"No?"

"No. My boss went home and I was on my way out when I saw you. You did look that pathetic, by the way."

"Aww, well thank you for coming to check on me."

"That sounds an awful lot like a dismissal. Are you done with me already?" She smiles, finishing her drink.

"No. Stay as long as you want." He watches her carefully, trying to judge how good his chances might be. She has her crossed knees pointed towards him but she's twisted a little, her upper body closed off. It's not that late and she wasn't here when he came in. Chances are she was only on her first drink when he found her. She certainly doesn't seem affected, and that's whiskey in her glass.

He feels a flicker of guilt. He could hang around and see her through a few more drinks and she might become an easier target, but it feels wrong. She truly is heartbroken, although she tries hard to hide it. Not to mention she's taken every opportunity to refuse him, and tricking her into it would only make her hate him.

"I just don't get it," she sighs, sadness falling like a shadow over her small features as she stares at her empty glass.

"Neither do I." She glances up. "I don't see how anyone would need to cheat on you." She says nothing.

"Have you ever cheated on anyone?" she asks after a minute. He hesitates, carefully considering his answer.

"I try not to put myself in the position where I might."

"So you don't do relationships," she says, her eyes on his.

"No," he says slowly. "No, not really." She nods.

"Fair enough."

"Nichola, forget about him," he says, watching her stare into space on the other side of the bar. "You can do better." She meets his eyes.

"Come on, let's get out of here. I'll make you forget he ever existed."

His voice is low, his brown eyes intoxicating as they peer deep into hers. She has to admit, his proposition is tempting. She looks away and blinks rapidly, thinking. If she leaves here with him it will be of her own accord and not because of his charms. She fixes her gaze on the bar, torn between her hesitance to give him the satisfaction and her desire to erase Matthew from her mind.

"No. No, I don't think I should. I'm sorry, Harvey, I just…can't."

"Okay. It's okay." She glances at him briefly.

"I think I should go."

"Can I walk you out?" She nods, laying down some cash for her drinks.

"Sure." He pays for his drink and follows her outside.

"I did…enjoy talking to you, Harvey," she says, turning to face him outside the door. He meets her eyes. "Thanks for listening to me."

"You're welcome." She feels herself being pulled in again. He takes a small step towards her and she turns away. He thought he saw tears in her eyes as she did so, walking to the curb. He sighs.

"Nichola," he says, taking her chin in his fingers and tilting her face up. She holds his gaze, waiting. Before either of them can talk him out of it he takes her by the waist, his hand in her hair, and kisses her. She leans into him, relaxing in his hands.

"Let's go," she murmurs. "Before I change my mind, let's go."


	7. Chapter 7

**Seven**

They crash into Harvey's condo, shedding clothes from the door to the bed. Nichola relishes in taking him apart piece by piece. She helps him remove his jacket, pulls his tie over his head, and begins to unbutton his vest. She steps out of her shoes and guides his fingers to the hem of her over-sized t-shirt as he kisses her mouth, jaw, and neck. Head back to give him access to her throat, she sighs as his lips explore her skin.

He pulls off her shirt and peels away her jeans to reveal a black, strapless lace bra and hot pink thong. His fingers roam her sides and back, trail down her ribs and spine. In the middle of the room he stops to kiss her, his hand at the back of her head. She kisses him back desperately, running her fingers through his hair.

They collapse onto the bed in a pile of moans and heavy breathing. Nichola runs her fingers over his chest and abs. She pushes him onto his back and leaves a trail of long kisses down his neck to his collar bone. He rolls them back over, pinning her arms above her head. Their eyes lock as he straddles her hips and he leans in for a long, deep kiss.

She lets out a small gasp as he kisses her chest and down between her cleavage, her arms still stuck over her head. He lets go of her to remove her bra. She drags his hands to her breasts, moaning softly against his lips. Fingers in his hair, she pulls him as close as she can.

Trailing his mouth down her stomach, he reaches the waistband of her thong. She gasps and recoils when he kisses the soft skin between her hipbones.

Her heart pounds as he kisses her again. She stifles a moan against his neck as guides himself inside her. Her nails dig into his shoulder and she tilts her head back into the pillows. She opens her eyes to watch him moving over her and finds herself a little mesmerized. Breathing hard, eyes closed, his hair is beginning to come out of it's usual perfectly slicked arrangement. His lips are parted slightly, swollen and inviting. He opens his eyes and meets her gaze and she smirks, pulling him down for a kiss.

"Fuck, Harvey," she murmurs when he finds the right spot. He laughs softly against her mouth. Her head spins. He picks up the pace and soon she can't decipher who's voice is who's, where he ends and where she begins. She keeps up with his rhythm, growing louder the closer she gets.

She comes with his name on her lips. Harvey is right behind her, collapsing breathlessly and rolling off of her. They lay in silence for a few minutes, their breathing returning to normal. Nichola closes her eyes and inhales deeply. She turns to him to find him watching her and they both grin.

"Come here," he mumbles, reaching for her. She slides over and lays her head on his shoulder. He kisses her gently and she smiles.

"Happy now?" she asks, laying her arm over his stomach.

"Mm, very." Eyes closed, she runs her thumb in small circles over his skin. He smells good. Like soap and cologne and a hint of sweat. Exhaustion quickly takes over. Harvey runs his fingers over her back, between her shoulders, and she falls asleep in minutes.

* * *

><p>Sunlight streams into Harvey's condo first thing in the morning. Nichola opens her eyes slowly, letting them adjust. She begins to take stock of her surroundings, becoming aware of Harvey's strong arms around her waist. She smiles softly, comfortable. The bed is warm. The sun is warm across her shoulder. She closes her eyes, unsure of the time unsure that she cares.<p>

As she's drifting back to sleep, a phone brings her back. She recognizes her ringtone and groans. Carefully, she untangles herself from Harvey and slides out of the bed. She finds her underwear and t-shirt and throws them on quickly before going to look for her purse.

"Hello?"

"Promise you won't yell at me?" The tone in her editor's voice worries her.

"What did you do, George?" she asks, taking a look around the condo. It's as massive. There are windows everywhere, high ceilings, and a view to die for.

"I didn't get the Carolina Bucci bracelet posted this morning." Nichola stops in the middle of the floor.

"What do you mean you didn't get it posted this morning? George-"

"I know, but we have some technical difficulties-" _Technical difficulties my ass_.

"I-uh-George! I don't care. I told you guys I wanted it up this morning. Who screwed around and didn't do it?" There's a pause.

"Um, well, that's kind of my fault…" She sighs.

"Fine. Then I want it up tomorrow morning. First thing, no excuses."

"I know. Of course."

"Get your shit together and get it done, George. I want a screen shot sent to me before you post it," she says, walking further into the living room.

"Got it."

"Good. Is there anything else I need to know about?" She stands in front of the windows, studying the view.

"Nope. Everything else went just fine."

"Okay. I've gotta go. You get a couple of points for not letting me find out on my own but I'm still pissed you didn't do it." He laughs a little.

"I know, I'm sorry. I'll have it ready to go first thing."

"Thanks. I'll talk to you later."

She runs her hand over her face and folds her arms under her chest. The sky outside is bright blue and crystal clear. In the morning sunlight she can see half way across Manhattan. For a minute she just stands there, frozen. She can't imagine waking up to this every morning. Her view of Central Park is pretty enough, but only so much of it is visible from seven stories. This is incredible.

"Problem at work?" She turns to see Harvey standing at the edge of the bedroom, an amused expression on his handsome, sleepy face. She smiles as he steps up onto the balcony. Her eyes sweep over his bare chest, his unshaven jaw and his disheveled blonde hair. _Jesus Christ_.

"Not anymore." He laughs softly.

"They're afraid of you, aren't they?"

"They'd better be." He takes her waist in his strong hands and kisses her. She stands on her tip toes and rests her hand on the side of his face.

"Harvey," she murmurs, stepping back.

"Yeah."

"If Mike has to find out about this, I'm going to tell him." He nods.

"Okay."

"Because, I feel like, he's _my _friend. And if you tell him, there's a greater chance it'll come out kind of like 'Hey, guess what, I did actually nail your friend,' and not only is that _not _how it went down, but it could screw up two relationships." Harvey narrows his eyes slightly.

"Wait, you two aren't-"

"Oh, no. No, no. I just feel like…it'll be awkward. And awkward can be hard to get over, you know?" He nods, studying her face. He opens his mouth to speak but she beats him to it.

"Last night was amazing, Harvey," she says softly. "Really. But…"

"I don't want a relationship, either." She smiles a little.

"Glad we're on the same page."

"I would, however, be willing to do this again." She smiles more.

"Yeah?" she asks, closing the space between them.

"Yeah." His voice is low and gravely as he leans down to kiss her, pinning her against the glass. Harvey's kiss is slow, seductive, and for a minute she loses herself in it, wanting nothing more than to spend the day in bed with him.

She pulls away with a gasping breath, her eyes wide open as they meet his. He threads his fingers through hers, his movements painfully slow, and kisses her again.

"Stay a little longer?" he murmurs. She smiles. She wants to. She's never been more turned on in her life, but she feels like the line needs to be drawn now.

"What time is it?"

"Why do you need to know?" She pulls back a little.

"Because I have things to do today." He smirks.

"It's just after nine."

"I should go." He nods.

"Alright." She stands on her tip toes and presses a soft kiss to his lips.

"Where's your phone?" He tilts his head to the side a little.

"On the table…" He points back towards the bed. Sliding her fingers out of his, she returns to his room. She picks up the Blackberry and sits on the bed, opening a new contact. With her name highlighted, she hands it to him.

"In case you want to do this again." He grins and leans down to kiss her once more.

"Mm, okay. I have to go," she says, standing up and pushing him back.


	8. Chapter 8

**Eight**

"Okay, in the interest of honesty and full disclosure, I need to tell you something." Mike raises his eyebrows.

"Okay, shoot." She swallows, nervous.

"I…well, I kind of slept with Harvey." Silence. She meets his eyes.

"You kind of slept with Harvey?" She squints her eyes, scrunching up her face like a child who's trying to avoid telling the truth.

"I did. I definitely did." Mike's stomach drops.

"Oh, Jesus, Nichola," There is no way in hell this is going to turn out well for any of them. No way in hell. She shrinks back a little, waiting for the storm.

"I'm sorry."

"What-how-no. No, I don't want to know how. Just…are you serious?"

"I'm _so _sorry, Mike."

"_Nic_. Jesus Christ. Nichola, do you understand what kind of a position we're in already? I don't need any-any outside factors making this harder." He runs his hands through his hair, leaning his head on the back of the couch. She watches him, waiting for the explosion and holding her breath. "Fuck, Nichola."

"I'm so sorry," she repeats, feeling worse by the second.

"Is this like-what does that mean?" He speaks slowly, trying to contain his anger. She gives an exaggerated shrug.

"I have no idea. But we agreed that…it was…casual. It doesn't mean anything-" Mike sighs. "I know, I know, I know. Don't make that noise, I know."

"Nic…you can't _do _this," he says, meeting her eyes. "You can't be with him."

"Hey, _you _slept with Lauren that one time. And I'm not saying I _want _to be with him, I'm just-"

"That thing with Lauren…you suggested we go out a hundred times and it wasn't hurting anyone. Was _this _a one time thing?" She hesitates. "Oh, God, come on Nichola…"

"Mike, I-I-I-" she stutters, takes a deep breath, and starts over. "Regardless of whether or not there's a one time thing, it's not personal. It's just…it's totally casual, so no hard feelings and-"

"But you just said you feel something for him." She shrugs, her mouth open.

"I-yeah, so maybe I have a little bit of a crush on him. Have you _met _him? But it's not a big deal and it's probably nothing anyway."

"Nic…"

"No, just listen, Mike. Please." He closes his mouth and nods.

"Alright, fine. I'm listening." She swallows, playing with her ring.

"I needed something to take my mind off of Matthew. I needed-I just wanted to stop thinking about him. I was sitting at home on a Friday night thinking of all the things we'd normally be doing together and then I ran into Harvey and I just…I needed to start over. To put something between Matthew and me, you know?"

"But he's my _boss_, Nichola. And we're in a very…precarious situation. I don't need any extra problems that could screw things up." He's mad. He's trying his best to hold it in, to keep his voice level, but she can see the tension in his face.

"I'm not going to screw anything up, Mike. If Harvey and I go our separate ways, fine. Maybe last time was the last time. Maybe he never calls me again. I don't care." He studies her face carefully.

"You will care." She shrugs.

"Okay, so then I get a little hurt. It's not like it hasn't happened before and nothing can compare to what Matthew did to me. I'll get over it." She gets up and sits down right next to him.

"Mike, the point is, no matter how you spin it, this isn't a big deal and it isn't going to affect you. Harvey's better than that and you think something stupid like this could screw up _our _friendship? Hell no, not on my watch." Mike appreciates the ferocity in her eyes and voice but he still isn't sure. He doesn't soften. She smiles, tilting her head to the side a little.

"I-I'm sorry, Nic, you just…you can't do this. There's too much riding on it. It's screwing with too much-"

"How, though? How does me sleeping with Harvey get you fired?"

"It's not just about me. If I go down, he goes down with me."

"And again, how does this include me?" He hesitates and it dawns on her.

"Oh my God!" She jumps up off the couch. "You think I'd purposely screw you over? What, if Harvey dumps me I'm gonna go run to the bar and tell on you two. Jesus fucking Christ, Mike, do you know me _at all_?" Tears well in her eyes as she walks across the room.

"No, Nic, I didn't say-"

"You didn't have to. That's the only way I could cause a problem for you guys. Harvey won't fire you because you could go to the bar and get him fired, too. The only other answer is you think I'm going to-you know what? Fuck it. I don't-I don't even want to talk about this anymore. I just…I didn't want you to find out some other way. I thought maybe it would be better if you heard it from me but _apparently _it doesn't even matter."

"Okay, I'll give you that much but that is like, an _inch_…" She sighs, shaking her head.

"Mike, I-I'm sorry it upsets you but I'm not sorry I slept with him."

"Well then we have a problem." She folds her arms and shrugs.

"Apparently we do."

"If this is so casual why can't you just break it off?" She licks her lips, flattening a bump in the rug with her foot. She isn't sure why she can't just get over it, but there's something about being with Harvey that makes her feel…different.

"I don't…really know how to explain it," she says slowly, thinking it over. "He's different. He's _worlds _away from Matt and I…need that. For a little while. Lately I feel like-like I'm doing everything for everyone else, Mike. I did what Matt wanted. What his family wanted. Mike, I can't-this is what _I _want. He's fun. It's easy. And I swear to God no matter what happens, I would never _ever _screw you two over. I can't even believe you would _suggest _such a thing."

"I didn't mean to suggest it, Nic, come on. I know you better than that. It was just…" He studies her face, trying to come up with a solution. She's angry at him, as she should be. Of course she would catch the one thought that was never supposed to leave his head.

"Do what you want, Nichola. I'm not here to tell you what to do," he sighs, a pained tone in his voice, and runs his hand over his face.

"I'm a big girl, Mike. I can take care of myself." Mike meets her eyes with a soul-searching kind of look as she plays with the end of her hair.

"I know. I forget that sometimes." She holds his gaze. She knows Mike means well. He's never meant anything but well, but he tends to forget that she grew up when he didn't, and she feels like in some ways he's still playing catch up. She knows all about his extenuating circumstances, so it's not that she doesn't understand, it just frustrates her when he tries to talk to her like she's a twenty year old party girl. Nichola left that girl behind a long time ago.

"I know what he's like, Mike," she says, turning around half way to the kitchen. "I know he's a player. I know…I know what he wants from me, and I did try not to give it to him but, you know, like I said, this is about me putting someone in between Matthew and me. As long as I don't do anything stupid like fall for him, I'll be fine."

"Yeah, well, don't do anything stupid," Mike says, his frustration showing a little again. Nichola opens her mouth to respond but thinks better of it.

"I just thought you should know. I didn't want you to find out…some other way." She swallows a sigh. She didn't tell him because she wanted his permission, or judgment. She just wanted to make sure he couldn't find out the wrong way.

"Well, I appreciate that. But I guess if I'm being honest I have to say I wish you hadn't done it at all." She nods.

"I know. But I swear to God, the second it becomes a problem, _if _it becomes a problem, I'm out. I'm done with it. Okay?" Hesitating, Mike nods.

"Okay."


	9. Chapter 9

**Nine**

Nichola sips her wine, staring analytically at her computer screen. She's recoded this page six times, and it still doesn't look right. Annoyed, she gets up and walks a circle behind her chair. She turns the music down and tries to think. _What am I missing?_

Her phone rings on the desk, twitching in a small circle as it vibrates. She glances at the number and doesn't recognize it. _It's a Manhattan area code, and it's definitely a cell-oh!_

"Hello?"

"I've been to one restaurant and three bars, and you're nowhere to be found. What are you doing tonight?" Nichola sits back down in her chair, grinning.

"Harvey, I gave you my number so you wouldn't have to stalk me anymore." He laughs.

"For your information, I've been out for work. I just wondered if I'd run into you somewhere."

"Well, for _your _in formation, you won't. I've been home working all night."

"Ahh ha. Would you be interested in joining me for a drink?"

"Mmm, that does sound good but it would mean I have to get dressed. And I don't really feel like putting clothes on," she says, smirking at his silence.

"How busy are you?" His voice has dropped several steps. She reaches for her necklace, thinking.

"I need to get this done tonight, but it shouldn't take me long. Where are you?"

"Not that far." She smiles.

"_Well_…you're welcome to over _here _for a drink. Let me know when you get here and I'll come let you in."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Single-malt, right?" He laughs.

"Right." Grinning, she hangs up. She glances down at her over-sized sweat pants and her t-shirt and sighs. _Well I guess I should at least put some jeans on_. She takes a sip of her wine and turns back to her computer, determined to finish this page.

She works for five minutes before Harvey texts her. Smirking, she saves her code and goes to her room to change her pants for jeans and the t-shirt for a small black tank top. She runs her fingers through her hair, fixes her part, and fixes the smudge of eyeliner under her eyes.

Harvey is waiting outside, scrolling his phone aimlessly, his other hand in his pocket. Nichola smiles softly, amused by his stiff professionalism in comparison to her laid-back comfort. _Always with the three piece suits_.

"Hey, you." He looks up. She leans in the doorway, her keys hanging from a lanyard in her hand. A smile slowly makes its way across his face as he looks her up and down.

"You lied to me." She grins.

"Well I wasn't going to walk down here in my underwear. My building's full of night owls." He laughs and kisses her. She smiles against his lips and slips her fingers in his. "Come on."

They step inside the elevator and he pushes her into the wall. She groans softly at his hips against hers, his hands grasping her shirt. She breaks the kiss and meets his eyes, grinning at him.

"What's gotten into you?"

"It's been a bad day."

"I can work with that."

She leads him into her apartment, letting him have his way with her as they make their way to her bedroom. She deconstructs him piece by piece. His pinstriped jacket and vest fall at her feet and, lips locked, she unbuttons his shirt like an expert. She breaks the kiss to breathe for a moment. Harvey tilts her face up to meet her gaze. His brown eyes are a little glazed over, like he maybe has a drink too many in his system.

He kisses her again, pulling their hips flush. She feels a shock of electricity when her skin touches his and reaches for his belt buckle.

* * *

><p>"Mm, okay, so if I thought I could walk, I would get up and go back to work," Nichola murmurs, eyes closed. Harvey laughs.<p>

"Back to work already? I dunno whether to be offended or impressed." She grins and rolls onto her side.

"Well you're the reason I can hardly move, if that sways you one way or another." He smiles. She likes his smile, likes what it does to his eyes, the way it relieves the tension in his face.

"That was good, wasn't it." She nods.

"Very." _Even better than last time. God, he knows what he's doing with that mouth, doesn't he? _She studies his face as he looks at the ceiling, trying to figure out what's going on behind those pretty brown eyes.

Regaining some strength, Nichola sits up with a groan. She runs her hands through her hair and slides out of the bed to get her clothes. Harvey sits back against the pillows, a smug look on his face as he watches her dress. She does so slowly, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye. She pulls on her underwear and tank top and leans in to kiss him slowly.

"I didn't finish before you got here, and I have to be able to post a new page at five, so I have to get this done tonight. All I need is ten minutes or so," she says, pulling back. "I believe I owe you a drink?"

"I'll get it," he says, getting up. She nods.

"Mmkay. Drinks are on the table by the fridge. There are glasses on the self over the sink," she says, leading him from the room. She finds her glass next to her computer and sits down in her chair. She types quickly, sure she's about to set a record in code-writing.

Harvey pours his drink and watches her from the kitchen. Her desk is situated in front of the large living room window, at the end of a white L-shaped couch. She types furiously on the Macbook, her back to him, her legs folded in the chair. He takes a deep breath and a large sip of whiskey, directing is attention to anything else he can find.

Her apartment is an odd collection of vintage and modern. It's a little haphazard, a little messy. Sleek, clean lines in white and stainless steel are cluttered with her everyday mess and what were, at some point, matching décor in purple and teal. Where Nichola is always perfectly presentable, even when she's casual, the apartment is everything she doesn't present to the rest of the world.

He notices a lot of empty magnets on her refrigerator. There are a few pictures of her with Lauren, a few with other girls. The picture at the top catches his eye. Nichola looks like a kid. She stands on the beach with her arms around Mike-who looks exactly the same as he does now. There's a Smirnoff bottle in her hand that she can't _possibly _be old enough for, a surfboard at her feet, and she grins from ear to ear.

"You surf?" he asks, turning to her. She laughs.

"Yeah." A word that answers one question and asks so many more. He decides to start with the one that's become bigger and bigger the more time he spends with her.

"How did you end up friends with Mike?" he asks, sitting on the couch a foot from her desk.

"I met Mike the day I moved here, actually," she answers without looking up or slowing down. "We lived in the same apartment building for a couple years. The picture on my fridge is from that first summer, actually. It's pretty old. And no, Mike doesn't surf."

"Ah." He glances at her computer screen. She types the codes seamlessly, as if she were writing an email. His eyes find the record player on a table on the other side of the desk. _Huh_.

"Do you actually use the record player?"

"Yep. My collection's not very big but I use it a lot." He nods. She finishes typing with two ceremonial taps of the return button and hits save.

"Oh, shit," she mumbles. "Damn i-oh, there we go. Okay. Done." She closes the computer and smiles at him.

"Apparently I didn't need ten minutes after all," she says with a shrug, reaching for her wine. She takes a sip and looks back up at him. "What were you doing barhopping for work?" she asks as if the thought just hit her.

"I had a few different meetings." She nods.

"Your clients more agreeable after a few drinks?" He smiles.

"Usually." She smirks. He can tell she holds a little bit of contempt for his job. He can only imagine it's thanks to that ass of a lawyer Donovan.

"But you said today was bad?" He hesitates, thinking over his answer. "Sorry. I know we said-if you don't wanna get into all the personal stuff-"

"No, it's okay, it's not that," he says, shaking his head. "I'm just trying to think-how much has the economy affected your business the last few years?"

"Not at all. The internet is probably the only place that didn't get hit. The value of my stocks dropped a little but I've almost made it all back." He nods.

"Okay, well, not all of my clients fared so well." She nods. "And companies who aren't my clients aren't exactly looking to pay a thousand dollars an hour for representation, no matter how badly they need it." Nichola chokes on her wine.

"I'm sorry," she says at the concern on his face. "You bill a thousand dollars an hour?" He nods. There's a hint of self-satisfaction in his smile.

"Jesus Christ, I should really reconsider my career path." He laughs. "No wonder Mike wants to be a lawyer so bad. Wow. Anyways, yeah, no one wants to spend that kind of money, I get that. So what, people like you are having trouble finding new business, right?"

"Essentially, yeah."

"And your client wooing didn't go very well tonight?"

"Not really, no." She offers him a sympathetic smile.

"Sorry."

"I'm not exactly hurting for business. It's just nice when things go my way." She smirks.

"Yeah, I'm sure."

"At least _something's _gone my way tonight," he says, eyes twinkling as the corner of his mouth tucks slowly into a smile. She tilts her head to the side, cocking an eyebrow.

"Oh, yeah? And what might that be?" He laughs and reaches out for her. Grinning, Nichola sets her glass on the corner of the desk and gets up to deposit herself in his lap. Her lips meet his softly, gradually applying pressure until he opens his mouth and lets her in. She wraps her arms around his neck, playing with the back of his hair as her heart begins to beat a little faster.

One kiss and it's like someone flipped a switch. She's never met anyone who could turn her on so completely so fast. There's just something inherently sexual about him she can't help herself.

He pulls her close and she unwraps her arms, letting her hands slide down his bare chest. His skin is hot under her fingers. She presses her palms to his chest, feeling it rise and fall against her. He pulls her tank top over her head and kisses the soft skin of her chest as she hums softly in appreciation.

Hands gripping her ribs almost to the point of pain, he lifts her up and lays her down the length of the couch. He slides his hands under her back and she raises her arms over her head as he kisses her hard. Her chest pressed to his, she feels like her heart is going to be right out of it. All she can hear is the blood pounding in her ears and her own heavy breathing. All she can feel are his lips on hers, his skin against hers.


	10. Chapter 10

**Ten**

"So spending the weekend with you means I get to see you in the daylight now?" Harvey asks, sitting across from Nichola. She smiles a little, playing with the straw in her drink, but it doesn't reach all the way to her eyes and it fades quickly.

"Yeah, um, look, I don't have a lot of time so I'm gonna cut to the chase-I need your opinion on something." She looks up, distress in her eyes. A little bit of worry begins to creep into his mind.

"Okay, shoot." She takes a deep breath.

"Matthew's suing me for part of the profit from my website," she deadpans. There's a pause as Harvey tries to understand what she just said. He frowns, his gaze on her face.

"What?"

"Yeah. He-I used him and a few of his friends as like, models, examples, for a lot of my menswear stuff so their pictures-mostly his-are all over the website. Since the website turns a profit thanks in part to his face, he wants his share." Harvey's jaw tightens and he narrows his eyes.

"Nichola, that's ridiculous-"

"I know it is."

"No judge would ever take such a case." She pulls a large envelope from her purse and drops it between them.

"Apparently someone would." Horrified, Harvey looks from the envelope to her with wide eyes. She just nods and he opens it.

"This is insane," he says after glancing through it. She nods.

"I know."

"He doesn't have a case."

"I know."

"Have you shown this to your lawyer?" She grits her teeth, her eyes glistening slightly with tears.

"Harvey…Matthew's dad gave me Robert Donovan." Despite the despair on her face, her voice is even. "They-when my website started to really grow, they sent me to Donovan and he helped me set it up as a real _business_. He represents Matthew's family's newspapers, which spans half this country and four more in Europe. They're some of his oldest, biggest clients." Harvey's stomach drops to his feet.

"I haven't spoken to him yet," she says after a pause. "He probably already knows. I just wanna know…what you think I should do."

"Let me handle it." She meets his eyes.

"What?"

"Fire Donovan and let me fight this for you. I can get it thrown out tomorrow." She starts to shake her head.

"Oh, I don't know, Harvey, I don't think-"

"What else are you going to do, Nichola? If they have a judge on their side already, and Donovan's in their pocket, they're going to sink you. Or make you spend a ton of money on a lawyer who's only going to waste your time. Let me handle it. I promise, I'll get it thrown out and you won't have to worry about it again." She hesitates.

"Isn't that…I think that's getting a little too involved, don't you?"

"No, because in twenty-four hours there won't be a case anymore, and we can go right back to how things were." Completely inappropriately, a smile finds its way onto her lips.

"Head to toe rug burns?" she asks before she can stop herself. Harvey smirks.

"Yeah." Her smile leaves as quickly as it came and she sighs. "Nichola, I know we talked about boundaries, and I'm not saying we forget them, but I am saying I care about you enough that I think this is wrong and I want to help. I can even let Mike do all the work, this case will be so easy." She meets his eyes.

"You really think so?" He nods.

"I've gotten rid of worse." She swallows, twirling her straw between her fingers as she thinks.

"Alright. Okay, fine."

"Yeah?" She nods.

"Yeah. Harvey, I dunno how to thank you-" He shakes his head.

"Don't. You don't have to." She searches his face and nods slowly. The corner of her mouth flickers.

"Does this count as billable hours?" He smiles.

"No. No, it doesn't. I will, however, take one of your fries," he says, reaching across the table. She rolls her eyes.

"Yeah, okay, I told you you could do that." He laughs.

"Thanks. I'd kind of forgotten how good these are. I haven't been here in a while."

"I come here all the time."

"Of course you do." He meets her eyes, grinning, and she rolls hers but she smiles back.

* * *

><p>"Robert." The man looks up from his computer. A large grin spreads across his face.<p>

"Harvey!" he says in a booming voice as he stands. "It's been a while since I saw you. What've I done?" He smiles, shaking his hand.

"I have an old client of yours, Robert." Robert frowns.

"Oh?"

"Nichola Scott." A dark look crosses his face.

"Ah. I see." Harvey stops smiling, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Come on, Robert, what is this? You're a good lawyer, you know this case is bull."

"I'm simply following the wishes of very old and very loyal clients."

"Miss Scott was one of those loyal clients until she fired you this afternoon. And now you're going to try to take her for all she's worth? That's a little much, even for you." Robert narrows his eyes.

"It's a legitimate case, Harvey." Harvey shakes his head.

"It's not. William Lewis might have Judge Smithson wrapped around his finger, but as soon as this finds someone reasonable, it's going to be thrown out. You would really be wise to advise your clients against spending their money on you for nothing." Robert smirks, standing up a little straighter.

"And why would this go to a different judge?"

"Because I'm going to explain the _real _situation to Smithson's boss, and he'll be removed to avoid a conflict of interest. It's not usually advised that a judge preside over his golfing buddy's case." Robert laughs.

"Good luck with that, Harvey. William Lewis has friends all over the court system." Harvey sighs.

"If you'll agree to drop the case now we don't have to go to court at all. Come on, Robert, she's just a kid. She's worked hard for this business and I _thought _you were better than watching this family screw her over."

"I work for them, Harvey. And she fired me. I'm just doing as they ask." Harvey shakes his head.

"Well, I'm not going to roll over and let them take her money. I've got friends in this court system, too, and a damn good record with the DA. If I recall you mostly have a record of screwing money out of people who can't afford it." Robert laughs again as Harvey turns to leave.

"You could just settle. Six million dollars." Harvey stops and spins slowly back around.

"Where the hell did you get that number?"

"It's the calculated amount of revenue Matthew Lewis's contributions to the website brought her." Harvey shakes his head in disbelief.

"You're out of your mind. The site isn't even worth that much." Robert shrugs.

"Take it or leave it. Six million dollars and none of us set foot in a court room."

"Hell no. That's insane."

"You're required to offer it to your client."

"I know what I'm required to do, but I can promise you she won't take it." Robert smiles.

"Then I'll see you in court tomorrow." Harvey gives a curt nod.

"Yeah. Good luck."

* * *

><p>"Nic, I could've told you this was bullshit as fast as Harvey did." Mike reads over her papers carefully, seeming annoyed. Nichola passes in front of him, equally annoyed that he's decided to make this about Harvey.<p>

"I know, but then you would've either offered your help and he would've said no, because he doesn't want to get involved with your personal life, or you would've had to go to him and ask permission and ugh, Mike, it just would've taken longer, okay? It's not about who knows what, it's just that he's technically the real lawyer in this situation."

"Okay, true, but it's the _principal_…" She rolls her eyes.

"Yeah, okay, sorry. Next time I'm in legal trouble I'll come to you first to make you feel better." He sighs.

"Nic…"

"Sorry. I know, I'm just-this is really stressing me out, okay? This is just _stupid_." He sets down the papers and looks up at her.

"It'll be alright, Nic. Harvey's the best. He'll take care of it." She exhales heavily and nods.

"Yeah. I hope so." She starts to pace again, running her hands repeatedly through her hair. She fights back a sob, having been forced back into a state of disbelief. _This isn't happening. Why is this happening? _She turns to Mike, tears spilling from her eyes. He glances up and does a double take.

"What's wrong?" he asks, setting the papers aside and standing.

"I just don't _understand_, Mike." Her voice is soft but even. "I just…why would he do this? Why would he do any of this? I thought we were so perfect, Mike, and this couldn't be farther from perfect."

"I know this is hard," he says quietly, laying his hands on either side of her neck, his thumbs on her jaw, "and I know it's going to be hard for a while. And I'm so sorry, and I wish I could just…make it not hard anymore. But you're going to get through this, and you're going to be better off for it. I really believe that." Nichola nods.

"I know. Thank you." He kisses her forehead and wipes her face with his fingers.

"And I'm not…I'm not mad at you or anything, you know that, right?" She nods. "I promise, we're gonna fix this."

"Thank you," she repeats. He pulls her in and wraps his arms around her neck. She presses her face into his chest and he kisses the top of her head.

"Would you…_object_, if I wanted to go find Matthew and kick his ass?" he mumbles into his hair, a smile spreading across his lips. She laughs and pulls back to look at him.

"I don't want to but I think I have to." He chuckles.

"Damn." Her phone starts ringing, vibrating dully against the couch. She reads Harvey's name and frowns.

"Hey."

"Hey. I have something to discuss with you really quick, if you have a minute."

"Yeah, sure. Go for it." She sits down.

"I spoke to Donovan about dropping the case. They're asking to settle for six million dollars." Nichola chokes on her own breath. "You okay?

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm-_six million dollars_? Harvey, I don't _have _six million dollars."

"That's what I figured, but I have to relay any offer they make, so I had to give it a shot. That's a no?"

"Yes, that's a no." Her voice is deeply bitter.

"Okay. We have to appear in front of Judge Smithson at nine-thirty in the morning, to discuss whether or not this will move on. Can you get to my office by eight?"

"Yeah, that's fine."

"See you in the morning, then. I'm trying to see if we can get a different judge but I won't know until tomorrow."

"Okay. See you in the morning." She hangs up and turns to Mike, her eyes wide.

"Six million?" She nods. "Nic, that's insane."

"Yeah."

* * *

><p>"Can I talk to you for a minute?" Jessica looks up from writing on her calendar.<p>

"Sure. What is it?" Harvey closes the office door and approaches her desk.

"I need a favor." She narrows her eyes suspiciously.

"Uh oh."

"You know Judge Smithson, right?" She nods.

"Why?"

"I need him off a case."

"What case." He hands her a copy of the file.

"A new client." She glances over the paper, then back at Harvey.

"This is a ridiculous case, Harvey." He nods.

"I know. That's why I need it thrown out." She continues to flip through everything.

"Who is this client?"

"She's new. She's-it's about revenge. She used to date this guy and now he's coming after her with some bullshit claim to her money. And her old lawyer and Smithson are in his family's pocket…" He trails off at the look on Jessica's face. "What?"

"What's your involvement with this woman?" Harvey shrugs.

"I told you, she's a client. She's Ross's friend; he brought her to me." She doesn't look convinced but she nods.

"Well, I'll see what I can do but I can't make any promises. I'm sure you won't have a problem fighting it, right?" He shakes his head.

"No." She hands him the folder.

"Good. This is good, Ross bringing you two clients now?" Harvey opens his mouth and she holds his gaze. Unable to admit anything else, he just nods.

"Yeah. It's great." She smiles.

"I'll call him first thing in the morning. Make sure you have your stuff together." He nods and turns to go.

"Thank you."

"Oh, and Harvey?" He stops at the door and turns around.

"Yeah."

"Whatever your involvement with this girl is, I don't care. As long as she's paying, it doesn't matter. Just keep it professional, okay?" He nods.

"Of course."

"Good night, Harvey."

"Good night, Jessica."


End file.
